Hog-wild or just plain boar-ing? How and where to watch US election night

As we anticipate today’s historically divisive US presidential election, with Kamala Harris and Donald Trump making their final pitches to the American people, it can be challenging to know how to engage in the events, especially from the United Kingdom.

However, whether you’re planning on pulling a reading week all-nighter, or are just intrigued as to how events will unfold stateside, here’s how the UK will be covering the election, and the key moments to tune in for.

Where can I watch the election?

Luckily for us, there are enough West Wing-fevered night owls that several UK channels will be running all-night coverage of the event.

BBC News will kick off their coverage from 10:40pm (GMT), 5:40pm in New York (EST), with a collection of high-profile reporters including News At Ten presenter Clive Myrie and North America Editor Sarah Smith.

Some of the BBC’s biggest names including Russia correspondent Steve Rosenberg and international correspondent Lyse Doucet in Jerusalem will be reporting in, with updates on the global responses to the results.

Sky News will start their coverage, ‘America Votes: Election Night Live’, at a similar time. The broadcaster has partnered with American news service NBC, allowing them rapid and up-to-date race projections. Fans of podcasting will also be able to watch The News Agents’ Lewis Goodall present the show’s data screens.

ITV and Channel 4 will also be running programming throughout the night.

What are the key moments of election night?

12:00pm (GMT) – 7:00am (EST)

After all the discussion and debates, polls will begin to open, with the American people on the Eastern seaboard being the first to cast their votes. Subject to differing time zones, all polling stations are set to open at 7:00am, with voters in swing states such as Georgia and North Carolina to be the first to vote throughout the nation.

10:00pm (GMT) – 5:00pm (EST)

At this time, the American press will begin receiving key insights from exit polls throughout the U.S., often conducted through interviews with people from various states and asking questions about their political beliefs. Whilst these offer a strong indication of how the American people voted, they do not account for early voters. The final count will be the only way of revealing the eventual outcome.

10:40pm (GMT) – 5:40pm (EST)

UK broadcasters, such as the BBC, Sky, ITV, and Channel 4, will begin their overnight coverage of the election.

00:00am (GMT) – 7:00pm (EST)

East Coast polls begin to close, and the count begins. This will be of particular importance in the swing state of Georgia: having 16 out of the 538 total electoral college votes, this state poses a tough battle, with  Joe Biden only winning by 13,000 votes in 2020. However, Georgia is a vital state for Republicans to gain if Trump is to take office in the White House.

Due to the nature of America’s electoral system, many states will be declared for either candidate almost the minute after polls close, meaning UK viewers can begin to get a picture of the race’s outcome early on.

00:30am (GMT) – 7:30pm (EST)

Polls close for the key state of North Carolina, which was the only swing state the Republicans won in 2020, and a previously faithful Republican stronghold. At this stage in the night, some states will be able to project their votes, before the completion of the count.

01:00am (GMT) – 8:00pm (EST)

Pennsylvania closes its polls, being regarded as the ‘biggest prize’ of the swing states, holding 19 electoral college votes. Both Trump and Harris respectively have spent serious time trying to gain Pennsylvania, notably the location of Trump’s assassination attempt in July. Without the backing of Pennsylvania, candidates will struggle to take control of the White House.

02:00am (GMT) – 9:00pm (EST)

The core battlegrounds of Michigan and Wisconsin close polls, with both having seen wins for Joe Biden in 2020. In the past year, there has been uncertainty as to how Arab-Americans, a key demographic in Michigan especially, will vote amid the ongoing War in Gaza.

An hour later, both Arizona and Nevada will close voting, with the two states heavily influenced by the ongoing immigration debate throughout the nation.

04:00am (GMT) – 11:00pm (EST)

The final remaining polls will close throughout the U.S., followed by the adjoining states to the mainland, Hawaii and Alaska, at 00:00 (EST). At this stage, all Americans will have cast their votes, the results will be sealed, and we may have a good idea of who has taken the White House.

We also may not – at the last election, it took four days before Joe Biden could conclusively be declared the victor, amid state recounts and uncertainty over mail-in ballots. So it may well be a similar wait this time around.

After months of speculation, assassination attempts, and even SNL appearances, the American people will finally know their political fate in the days to come. For UK viewers, this election will provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to watch a historic election unfold in real time, as Trump and Harris battle to cross the 270-vote threshold. Whether you’re willing to pull an all-nighter is up to you, but make sure to set an alarm and get to your 9ams on time!